Conference – We have tentatively settled on Friday October 10th, at Embassy Suites by SFO (with some Thu evening / Sat morning stuff). The cost will probably be in the $100-$175 range (with meals, not counting hotel room). It will be "unconference" style, with a few keynotes and the main focus being on brainstorming, researching, networking, etc. You can semi-mark your calendars, but we will make a more formal announcement when we have signed a contract and made a deposit.

Volunteers – Thanks for all the additions to the Volunteer List Wiki page! We will be contacting volunteers over the coming weeks.

Seastead socials – We’re thinking about having get-togethers in the Bay Area every 4-6 weeks, just general brainstorming/networking/keeping the enthusiasm going over drinks sort of thing. We’ll announce that here when it gets going.

Engineering

We are hiring a local offshore engineering firm to do high-level structure conceptual design, and perhaps numerical modeling, simulation, and wave tank testing of some promising designs.

Sorry this is late, I’ve been sick since Friday, and a bit overwhelmed with the email deluge resulting from our big media week last week. Plus Monday was a holiday, so Friday will be my seasteading day this week. But I wanted to get this email out because there’s lots in it and will be lots more on Monday, I expect.

America’s first cement ocean-going vessel "Faith" was built in a Redwood City shipyard and launched from the port there in 1918. It never saw military action as the Armistice was signed a few months later (Redwood City Public Library). (Coincidentally, we are thinking of holding our fall conference in Redwood City, and perhaps locating our offices there as well).

Not a lot of external progress to report this week, as we were focused on our first Board meeting and 2008 strategy. Now that we’ve done that, expect to see some detailed volunteer project specs and job requisitions coming up. I’m headed to the OTC tonight, and may blog from there.